The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-28
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

A machine has been invented that
will sew on 5000 buttons in day.
During ths year 1886 Americas
mills produced 1.35O.O 900 tons Of steel
rails. valued at $40. .OOO.0o0. The pros.
pet for 1887 is still better.-Pitts5ur9A
PosI.
The West Lebanon penn Rolling
Mill Company has shipped chain
weighing twenty-five tons for use on \
f1ve-mast lake schooner. 1t requires
two cars to carry it
"A recent computation makes the
velocity of the solar system in space
only about 10 000.O miles year. BY
different method another computer
has determined the rate to be about
525, 100000 mile. a year.-Arka"saU
Tr0ueLe,.
A Russian physicist finds that. con-
trary to general belief, the strength
and property Of eloasation are in
creased by low temperature in iron
and steel. the force of cohesion being
intensified by contraction. rr
Trdrc!sr.
"A Birmingham (Eng.) firm are
making oar-blades of the best sheet
steel, highly tempered. These are de-
clated to be much stronger than the
ordinary wooden blades and, being
much thinner. enter aLd leave the
water cleaner. They are strongly, fit-
ted to wooden handles.
A st. Augustine, Ga. letter de-
scribcs the ice works ut that place rs
having Il capacity of loo pounds per
hour. The freezing cans make mass
Of 800 pounds each. and are taken out
in rotation. an average of five hourly,
after thirty-siX hours exposure to the
evaporation OF arnEionia, 240 cans be-
ing kept at work. k.-BoStou Budget.
Last year Q8S6) the spots on the
sua were SD small and few that IL may
have been the minimum of the sun
spot period of eleven years. So says
the distinguished Italian astronomer,
Prof. Tacchini. From the 31st Of De-
tober to the 18th of December there
were only six days when any trace Of 4
spot could be discovered on the solar
disc, and only 4 single tiny spot could
be observed on those days.-N. Y. Led
ger.
The process Of taking beautiful
cOlOred photographs has recently been
perfected by an English photographer.
A negative OF the sitter IS taken by i
sentitized plate of electric light. From
the negative positive is produced on
Il chemically-trcated basis by the aid of
Il solar camera and speCtroScopic ar
rangement. The image i, produced in
colOrs without The aid of hand work or
brlsh. Chicago Adcancs.
"A movement aas been started to
found L laboratory on the New En-
gland coast. where students, teachers.
and investigators may find facilities
for the pursuit of biology. 1t is now
some years since the brief episode of
the Ptrikese laboratory, which was
founded by Mr.. Anderson and iHtrusted
to Professor Agassiz. During the in
terval. summer schools of science have
multiplied, and Il few of them have sue
cessfully maintained their modest use
fulness.-P,;jiic Opinion.
1t is said that a woman began the
manufacture of sewing thread in En-
gland in 1922, and it would seem
proper that the idea should have first
come from thai sex through whose
hands nine-tenths of the thread passes
that is used. Paisley has the honor of
being the first town that embarked in
the business. 1t was called Nun 5
thread" was made of flax. and 50
rapidly increased in popularity that ii
was not long before it became IN I'M
portant branch of manufacture.